New ferry for Gnv

The first new ferry, of a series of four, arrives for Gnv, an Msc group company. The delivery ceremony of Gnv Polaris took place today, 24 October 2024, in China. The ship will soon leave the Chinese shipyard Guangzhou Shipyard International (Gsi) for Italy, where further outfitting will be carried out before it enters service by January 2025. The other three planned vessels, all ro-pax like this one (i.e. capable of carrying both rolling stock and passengers), will join the fleet by 2026.

Thanks to its technical characteristics, Gnv's technicians explain, Polaris will strengthen the company's network, guaranteeing greater operational flexibility and more efficient management of seasonal peaks, with particular attention to routes to Sicily and Sardinia. The fleet renewal process, moreover, envisages not only the expansion with new vessels, but also the restyling and modernisation of the ships currently in service, as well as the gradual decommissioning of the less performing ones.

Polaris will have a gross tonnage of approximately 46 thousand tonnes, a length of 218 metres, a width of 29.6 metres and will be able to reach a maximum speed of 25 knots. It will have 239 cabins and a cargo capacity of 1,500 passengers and 3100 linear metres.

"The delivery of this ship," says Gnv's CEO, Matteo Catani, "represents an extremely important moment for the company: it is the first important step in a fleet modernisation project, which will see us bring to the market in the next few years, thanks to the new ships and the restyling of the existing ones, an offer and service of the highest quality, allowing us to position ourselves as an operator of excellence in the Mediterranean".

According to Catani, 'no less significant is the fact that, thanks to its high standards in terms of energy efficiency and the possibility of using cold ironing, this ship represents a fundamental step for the company, also in terms of reducing the environmental impact of its operations, and will act as an accelerator for the path of sustainability that we have started and in which we firmly believe'.